1895 Masonic meeting minutes, Plant City, Hillsborough County, Florida File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Anne Futch, afutch@prodigy.net USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. This file may not be removed from this server or altered in any way for placement on another server without the consent of the State and USGenWeb Project coordinators and the contributor. *********************************************************************** High School Building - Plant City, Fla. Plant City Lodge No. 79 - F. & A. M. met in Regular Communication on April 12th A.L. 5895, A.D. 1895. Present- O.S. Wright W. M. C.M. Boone S. W. C. L. Lowry J. W. Minutes of last communication read for information. The Memorial Committee on Past Master Wm. C. Collins reported as follows; That the subject of this sketch Wm. C. Collins who departed this life after a protracted illness of much suffering on November 18th, 1894. And was a resident of Hillsboro County since 1876 during which time he has been active in business circles, always giving encouragement to every enterprise for the betterment of the community in which he lived. He was a Mason of the staunchest kind. His love for the Fraternity had no bounds. Every appeal to him for the relief of suffering humanity met with a forthright and generous response. He went into the war in the 1st Fla. Calvary which was afterward dismounted. In Tennessee he was taken prisoner but got through the lines and made his way back to Florida coming through the country on foot to his brother's J.B. Collins in Monticello, Fla., suffering very much, he stayed there until rested and then returned to the Western Army. He was among the first to put in motion the work of organizing a Blue Lodge in this neighborhood which was located at Shiloh, one mile north of Plant City, where the present lodge of which he was a member at the time of his death was located. Bro. Collins served as Master a number of years, always filling the office with credit to himself and honor to the fraternity. He was also a Royal Arch Mason and filled the office of Scribe in Plant City Chapter at the time of his death. He was a member of the Methodist - Episcopal Church. Brethren, a good man has fallen from our ranks and we ______ to take up the march in the ranks of the redeemed in ____ blessed home in the beyond there to await the final reunion where parting is no more. Let us throw the mantle of sympathy and love around his children who are left to mourn the loss of father and mother. Fraternally Submitted, W.S. Knight for com. On motion report was received & approved and ordered that a page of our record be Sacred to Wm. C. Collins Born Initiated Passed Raised W.M. of Plant City Lodge 1878 " " " " " " 1879 " " " " " " 1880 " " " " " " 1881 " " " " " " 1882 " " " " " " 1884 " " " " " " 1886 " " " " " " 1887 " " " " " " 1888 " " " " " " 1891 Treas " " " 1892 Advanced to Nerk. M. } Honored as P. M. } 3/2/1893 Received & ackldg M. & M.} Exalted Royal Arch Mason } Elected Scribe for 1893 " " " 1894 Died Nov. 18th, 1894